Op-ed: I’m a Trans Man Who Doesn’t ‘Pass’ — And You Shouldn’t Either | Advocate.com

“Out of all the words in the transgender lexicon, ‘passing’ is the one I hate most. And that’s no small feat.

In our rapidly evolving digital world, language is changing faster than ever. Words that seemed to be standard terminology as little as four years ago are now out of fashion, or even taboo. When I began my gender transition in 2011, for example, I called myself a ‘transsexual,’ a word I no longer use because of its implied connection between gender identity and sexuality. Yet as words like ‘tranny’ slink out of circulation, ‘passing’ remains frustratingly well-used, even among the trans* community.”